The Light Within
by Vada via cretino
Summary: [AU] Three misguided teens, led away from their intended paths by the darkness. Can the balance be restored by the light halves of their souls? Shounen-ai. [YY;BR;MM]
1. So it begins

**Title:** The Light Within

**Pairings:** Yami/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, maybe others?

**Summary:** Three misguided teens, led away from their intended paths by the darkness. Can the balance be restored by the light halves of their souls?  

**Warning:** Shounen-ai. Swearing. Light violence.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I make no profit from this, it's purely for the enjoyment of myself and others (though I'm not certain about that…)

*cackles* Ahh…a new story. Sorry! I just _had_ to do this. Don't worry, Hentai Ryou won't be held up, it should be updated shortly. Anyway, who ever said the hikaris had to be given the Sennen Items? *grins* I was wondering that, so I figured I'd switch things around. Obviously not making the Yamis light and vice versa… Could you honestly see an evil Yugi and an innocent Marik? XD That would make such a sight… Anyway, onward to the first chapter! First off -- Yami. ^_^

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**Chapter One – So it begins**

"This is the third time you've been sent to see me in this week alone, Yami Mutou, what do you have to say for yourself?"

"That guy shouldn't have started with me."

"You didn't have to break his nose!"

A snort was all the Principle of Domino High School was graced with. Crimson eyes regarded the stout man lazily, the teen having been through the same routine countless times before.

A hand pinched the bridge of the older man's nose, a tired sigh escaping his lips. "I'll have to phone your parents this time, Yami, the letters don't seem to be getting home."

Yami rose from his seat, shrugging noncommittally. "Whatever."

Turning and walking towards the door, the teen stopped momentarily when the other spoke.

"You're an intelligent young man, Yami. If you just put the effort in--"

"Save it." Yami snapped, opening the door and walking out, feeling slight satisfaction at the loud noise it made when he slammed it shut.

"You're up, Nishimura." Yami said, smirking slightly in greeting at the white-haired boy sat waiting, smoking a cigarette, obviously disregarding the rules.

Harsh brown eyes rolled, the albino rising to his feet. A low growl was emitted as Yami stole the cigarette from his lips before sauntering down the corridor.

"You can't smoke that in here." A small woman objected, gazing at Yami reproachfully. "And shouldn't you be in class?"

"Bite me," was all the teen said as he walked past, making sure to blow smoke in her face as he did so.

Fools. All of them. Yami only attended school through lack of anything better to do, and it was fun to make life hell for those unfortunate enough to teach him. He left the other students alone, though. Bullying wasn't his thing.

There were the occasional assholes that like to pick fights with him, however. Guys like that were merely resentful to his popularity despite his aloof nature. Yami smirked at the mental image of Ushio nursing a bloody nose.

Yami threw the finished cigarette to the ground as he left the school building, making his way towards his black coupe convertible. Yami's already sour mood darkened as he saw who was leaning against his car, obviously waiting for him.

"What the hell do you want, Mazaki?" he snapped as he stood before her.

The brunette smile, fluttering her eyes flirtatiously, seemingly unaffected by the crimson-eyed teen's attitude. "Isn't that obvious?" Anzu purred, her voice silky.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" Yami growled, giving Anzu a nasty glare. "Or even better, somewhere far away from me?"

The smile slipped from her face, tears gathering in her azure eyes. Yami sighed, walking around to the driver's side, unlocking the door and climbing in.

Shooting the sniffling girl beside the car a flat look, Yami said, "Don't even bother trying to fool me. You should know by now that I won't fall for that," before starting up the engine and driving off.

Anzu's eyes hardened and she wiped away the fake tears, not wanting to mess up her make-up. Turning on her heels, the brunette walked back towards the school building as the black convertible sped off, screeching as it turned a corner.

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Yami tossed his leather jacket onto the couch and made his way upstairs, not bothering to hide the fact that he was at home instead of furthering his supposed education. No one was there. No one ever was.

As the teen reached the door to his room, he felt a shiver run down his spine and had the unexplainable urge against entering his room. Rolling his eyes at himself, Yami opened the door and walked into his room.

Yami's eyes widened at the sight of the man sat calmly on his bed. Eerie sapphire eyes stared unblinkingly at him, and Yami quickly brought out a switchblade from his pocket, holding it in front of himself threateningly.

"Who the hell are you, and how did you get in here?" Yami growled, sizing the man up. He didn't seem too dangerous, Yami could easily take him out if need be.

"Yami Mutou." The man stated, getting to his feet. Yami took a step back to keep the distance between them, surprise evident on his features at the man's knowledge of his name.

"My name is Shadi, and I mean you no harm. What I tell you now I want you to take to heart, because your reaction may result in life or death."

Yami raised a disbelieving eyebrow. Was he some sort of gang member? This _Shadi_ definitely didn't look like a greedy murderer often associated with gangs, and no one that he knew of held a _serious_ grudge against him. 

"Your intended path has been knocked off balance by means beyond my control. Your destiny is now unclear, and unless action is taken, terrible things will occur." He explained, his strange accent unknown to Yami.

"What the hell are you talking about!?" Yami exclaimed in disbelief. This man was obviously crazy. Intended path? Destiny? What a load of nonsense!

Shadi smiled, a grim, sad smile. "Darkness and solitude is your way of life now. This was not meant to be. You are the leader of a trio that are destined to save our world from the corrupt power attempting to consume it." 

"Look, I don't know who you think you are or what the shit spewing from your mouth is supposed to mean, but it doesn't concern me!" Yami yelled angrily, the little patience with the lunatic vanished.

Shadi didn't flinch at the teen's harsh words, merely smiled that sad smile, his eyes shining in what looked like pity. Yami felt his fury rise. He didn't need some stranger to pity him! This Shadi didn't even know him!

"You don't know me." Yami stated lowly, his eyes narrowed dangerously as his hand tightened the grip on his knife.

"That is where you are wrong, young Yami. You are the Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt reincarnated. You hold the power to wield the dangerous powers of the Shadows." Shadi explained, holding a hand out to the younger, a questioning in his eyes.

"Will you accept the truth and let me help you rediscover your past?"

Yami snorted, lunging at Shadi with his knife. "Not fucking likely." 

The weapon sliced through nothing but air, and Yami gasped, gawking at the place Shadi used to stand.

"I was afraid this would happen. I did not want to resort to this…"

Yami whirled around in time to see Shadi holding what looked like a golden puzzle in his hands, before a bright light enveloped the room, causing Yami's vision to blur and his world to go black.

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Yami groaned as he slowly regained consciousness, quickly sitting up as the earlier events made themselves known to his haze filled mind. Frantically looking around the room, there was no sign of the man from earlier. Everything seemed just as it was before…

Maybe he had dreamt it? Yami frowned. But it had seemed so real. Running a hand through his tri-coloured hair, Yami sighed in confusion, before wincing as a sharp pain lanced through his head. Feeling extremely disorientated, Yami grumbled to himself and got up from his spot on the floor – how had that happened? – and decided to get extremely drunk, despite the fact it was little over two in the afternoon.

Yami took a sharp intake of breath at the unfamiliar feeling of something heavy resting against his chest. Crimson eyes widened as he looked down and regarded the golden pyramid he had seen Shadi hold in his hands. It couldn't be! Putting his hand to the object, intending on removing it from around his neck, he received a sharp jolt, causing the teen to quickly retract his hand in pain.

Deciding he was going insane, Yami made his way downstairs with every intention of getting plastered in hopes to forget the strange and worrying events that made his brain hurt. 

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Sooo…what did you think? Good? Bad? Absolutely appalling? -.-;; Well whatever you think, please let me know whether I should continue with this. 

Next will be Bakura and his encounter, though no more Shadi till later, as he's realised that reasoning with three thickheaded and stubborn teens is useless. Also, Yami will finally be aware of Yugi's presence. Yay! ^^; Well, _if_ you want me to continue this, that is.

Please review!


	2. Captured

**Title:** The Light Within

**Pairings:** Yami/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, maybe others?

**Summary:** Three misguided teens, led away from their intended paths by the darkness. Can the balance be restored by the light halves of their souls?  

**Warning:** Shounen-ai. Swearing. Light violence.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I make no profit from this, it's purely for the enjoyment of myself and others (though I'm not certain about that…)

*Beams* I'm really pleased with the responses I got for this. So I shall continue! ^_^ Although I really need to sort out my ideas, because that's all they are at the moment. -.-;; I have a fair idea where this is going, though, so let's just see how it turns out, ne? And I figured I'd thank all my reviewers, sooo…

Thanks to:

**JDM** – I can understand that you wouldn't appreciate the Anzu bashing if you like her, and I also understand that she doesn't _really_ act like that. But in fairness, this is fanfiction, so I choose how the characters act. I don't really like using OC's either, and out of the female YGO characters I like Anzu the least. So I apologise if this offends you, and you'll be glad to know that there will be probably no more Anzu bashing, mainly because the plot doesn't concern her in any way. It depends on how it goes, though.

**cloud-1-3-5** – I always enjoy your reviews, they're always so nice. ^_^  *flushes* I'm glad that you think I'm an excellent writer, and I like to be original, so that's why I always try to write my fics with authenticity. ^.~ And I'll continue this, not just because you're a yaoi fanboy, but because I like you and you're always so flattering. 

**Inferno13** – Yes, I will continue. I'm glad you like it so far. ^^ And yes. Nishimura is Bakura's last name, just so you know.

**BlueBolt** – Good. I was going for original. I don't like writing fics that have been done before, so I try to find new twists for things, and this came up. Even though I have other fics in the making this stood out and I _had_ to write it. *grins*

**The Inspector** - *laughs* Yeah, an innocent Marik with wide, chibi eyes. That would be more terrifying than any threat of mutilation by his dagger version of the Sennen Rod. I may take up the suggestion, just to see the outcome, hehe.

**onlyHAUNTED** – It's good to know that my writing is appreciated. ^^ Well here's the next chapter for you.

**TaleneIsMyYami** – Wow, _that_ good? =^_^= Well I only did another chapter because of writer's block, and I could never put Hentai Ryou on hold through fear of maiming from my reviewers. *sweatdrops* But I'm flattered that you think that way.

**AmenOsirius** - *chomps on pocky* Arigatou. I'm glad that my other fics nearly made you wet yourself. Your phrasing, not mine. XP I do like to write humour, but this was to show my serious side and because the idea was just screaming "WRITE ME!" and I can't refuse the voices in my head. ^^;

**redconvoy** - *blinkblink* Bakura has a bunny? XD Weird… Anyway, thanks for your review, and the next part is coming right up. ^.~

**Black Magic2 **– Thanks for the review!

**Ril** – Arigatou. I'm glad you think so. ^^

**Anime-Blade** – Well most of my stories are so different that it's quite easy, really. But I really should finish one before I start another, ne? -.-;;

**Renoirkmk** – Thanks!

**someoneyoudontknow** – Don't worry, I'm continuing. ^_^

**Dark Magic 856** – Oh, you don't understand? Hehe, sorry. I suppose it's not all that clear yet. But it will be. At least I hope so. If it's still not clear in a few chapters say so, and I'll try and sort it out for you. 

**Angel Reaper** – I know _exactly_ what you mean. He's so unbelievably hot, isn't he? *drools* Ahem, anyway, thanks! 

**Sansi** – Hehe, my thoughts exactly. I was wondering why no one else had done this so I thought I'd try it. *grins* And I'll tell you this, Yami, Bakura and Marik aren't exactly the best of friends. Hence the last name basis. Also, do you really think Bakura and Marik are going to be pleased to find out that Yami is their leader? *cackles evilly* 

**Spiritual Winds** – The term "interesting" seems to have come up quite a bit. But at least it's not boring. ^^; Thanks for the review. *bows*

**Kitty Neko** – Here's the update you asked for. ^.~

**ChocolateEclar** – You know, I had to look up enigmatic to know what you meant. *laughs embarrassed like* Yeah, Shadi gives me the creeps. And why does he not have any pupils? *frowns* It just makes him look even more strange. Anyway, I'm glad you like my idea, and I hope you enjoy this chapter.

**galenhiril** – Yeah, the hikaris get to be in control, for once. And they _can_ take over the bodies if they wish. But they are light, after all, and wouldn't want to go against their partner's wishes. But it gives them power. *evil grin*

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**Chapter Two – 'Captured'**

Bakura rolled his eyes as his father lectured him on another complaint about his behaviour. He had heard it all before, and it wasn't going to stop him acting the way he did. It was too much fun. 

"—walk out of school like that all the time! …Are you even _listening_ to me?!"

"What was that?" Bakura asked, feigning innocence. The white-haired teen smirked inwardly as his father's face turned red in anger. 

"That's it! I've had enough of your cheek! You're _grounded_! To your room, young man! Now!"

Bakura mock saluted his father, sauntering up the stairs slowly, just to aggravate the older man. He didn't hate his father exactly, but Bakura had become resentful after being isolated by the figure he was supposed to look up to. After a few years of abandonment and monthly phone calls, Kakuei Nishimura finally decided he was going to pay attention to his son. Bakura wasn't going to readily accept this, and had made life hell for his father since his return.

Upon entering his room, Bakura flopped onto his bed, only to feel something uncomfortable digging into his back. Frowning, he sat up and picked up the offending object, examining it from different angles. There was nothing special about it. It was merely a plain, white box.

Brows furrowing in confusion and his curiosity peaked, Bakura removed the lid. Russet eyes widened at the treasure inside. A golden ring glittered in the room's dull light, a triangle in its' centre with a creepy looking eye engraved on it. Five sharp looking points that hung at the bottom completed the weirdest object Bakura Nishimura had ever seen in his seventeen years of living. 

What had the teen slightly worried, though, was that it was _glowing_. Bakura stared at it for a long while, not quite sure what to do with it. He had to admit, it looked pretty cool, not to mention expensive. If he found no use for it he could always sell it off somewhere. 

But…where had it come from? Bakura's eyes hardened as the thought of his father slipped into his mind. Another present to try and buy back his love? Taking in the recent events, however, Bakura quickly skipped that notion.

There was no note attached to it, so how did he get it? Shrugging, Bakura found that he didn't really give a damn. It was his, and that was all there was to it. 

Noticing the rope attached to it, Bakura slid the item over his neck. Getting up and walking over to the mirror, Bakura checked out his reflection, a slight smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. It was true that he _always_ looked good, but somehow the teen thought that the strange ring added to his appeal. 

The thought of someone trying to steal it occurred to him, but anyone who pissed off Bakura was as good as dead, and everyone knew it. No one would be able to take it from him anyway, even if they were dumb enough to try it.

Bakura also noted that the object had stopped glowing. 

"Maybe I was just seeing things?" Bakura mused aloud. 

A slight trickle of amusement made itself known in Bakura's mind. He frowned. Why would something like that amuse him? Shrugging it off, Bakura made his way towards his window. He could do with some fresh air, and it wasn't like he was planning on actually staying in his room. Where would the fun be in that?

_And since when have I ever listened to orders?_ The rebellious teen thought, cackling to himself as he climbed out of his window, making sure to leave it open for his return.

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The room was spinning. Or was he spinning? Giggling drunkenly to himself, Yami realised he didn't know. A momentary flash of light caused the tri-haired teen to blink rapidly, but he thought nothing of it as he took another mouthful of beer. 

"That stuff will kill you, you know."

Yami looked to the side, his blurry vision seeing a small figure standing beside the couch he was currently sat on. The drunken teen squinted, trying to make out the form more clearly, succeeding in only causing his head to hurt.

Yami moved to take another swig of his beer, but found that the bottle wasn't in his hand anymore. 

"I'm not letting you damage your liver any more than you have already, Yami."

Who _was_ this person? And where had his beer gone? Scowling as best he could, Yami asked, "'The hell's my beer?" with a definite slur to his voice.

A 'tsk' of disapproval met his ears, and the crimson-eyed teen glared at the figure that now stood in front of him. Due to their closer proximity, Yami was able to see the boy more clearly. His final bottle of beer was held in small hands, and round amethyst eyes gazed at him reproachfully. 

Yami could only stare at what looked like a more innocent version of himself in awe. Was he hallucinating? Knowing the intoxicated state he was in, Yami guessed so.

"Are you an angel?" Yami asked in wonder.

The small boy smiled in amusement, the action lighting up his beautiful features. "You could say that."

Yami's hallucination stepped forward, pressing a free hand to Yami's forehead. The crimson-eyed teen's skin tingled at the touch, warmth spreading throughout his entire body. Yami suddenly felt drowsy and his eyelids drooped, the teen losing the fight to stay awake.

The last words Yami heard before sleep consumed him were oddly comforting, even if they weren't real.

"Don't worry, darkness. You're not alone anymore."

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Bakura scowled at the two teens leering at him. He had been walking along, planning on going to the arcade to win some money off of some unsuspecting kids when he was roughly pushed to the ground from behind. Now on his feet, Bakura was most displeased to see two faces he had hoped on never having to see again.

"What the fuck do you want?" Bakura spat.

"How rude. Not a very nice welcome, wouldn't you agree, Sakate?" A redhead sneered, his frame thin and tall. He didn't look threatening, but Bakura knew better than to judge from appearance.

"Yeah, Takaido." The brawny, dark haired teen agreed, chuckling maliciously.

Bakura rolled his eyes. "Look, I have somewhere to be, so unless you have something particular you want, I'll be going now." 

Bakura moved forwards, only to be shoved back again by Sakate, obviously the stronger of the two. Sakate cracked his knuckles threateningly, but Bakura merely graced them with an indifferent look. 

"After being humiliated the way we were the last time we met, we figured you owed us an apology." Takaido smirked. 

"We'll let you off lightly if you give us that pretty piece of jewellery from around your neck." Sakate said, eyeing the Bakura's ring greedily.

"I don't think so." Bakura snorted, crossing his arms. "And I don't apologise, definitely not to losers like you."

Takaido leapt at Bakura suddenly, catching the albino by surprise. He grabbed the ring, about to pull it off, when a sudden bright light caused the two thugs to stumble backwards. Bakura blinked away the flashing colours in front of his eyes, surprised.

What the hell just happened?

Taking advantage of Sakate and Takaido's momentary confusion, Bakura drew back his right arm, swinging at Sakate, catching him in the stomach. The large teen doubled over, moaning in pain. 

Takaido ran at him, but Bakura dodged the punch aimed his way, grabbing the redhead's arm and twisting it around his back. Bakura ignored the cries of pain, pushing Takaido forward forcefully. Takaido stumbled, falling to the floor. 

Bakura stood in front of the two beaten teens, smirking maliciously. Pushing Takaido onto his back with a foot, Bakura glared down at him. "_No one_ messes with me and gets away with it." He snarled.

"W-we're sorry, man." Takaido whimpered.

Bakura placed a foot onto Takaido's chest, pushing down hard. A sickening crack was heard, followed shortly by a loud cry of pain. Bakura cackled, about to push down harder, when a loud cry of protest stopped him in his tracks.

_Stop! What do you think you're doing? They've learned their lesson!_

Removing his foot, Bakura glanced around, scowling. It was late and no one was around, so where had that voice come from?

Turning his attention back to the two fools on the floor, Bakura noticed angrily that they weren't there. He looked around once more, to find them making their retreat, albeit slowly, down the street. He was about to chase after them – they were going to pay for crossing Bakura Nishimura – when he found that he couldn't move his legs. 

"What the fuck?!" Bakura exclaimed in surprise.

What happened next, Bakura couldn't find words to describe. It felt as though his soul was being literally pulled from his body. It happened so fast, that in the blink of an eye, the confused teen found himself stood in what looked like a room.

The room was dark, cold and empty; only consisting of four walls and a door. Shivering despite himself, Bakura realised he didn't want to stay here a second longer. Running for the door, Bakura realised in despair that it wouldn't open.

Pounding on it, Bakura cried out in frustration. "Let me out! Whoever the hell you are you're going to pay for this!"

_I'm sorry, Bakura, but I can't do that. _

The soft, cheerful voice seemed to come from anywhere and everywhere, and Bakura noticed that there were no speakers in the room. A feeling that Bakura hadn't felt for a long time crept into the white-haired teen – fear. 

There was no way that someone could have kidnapped him and knocked him out. Bakura had been awake the whole time. How had he ended up here? And where had that voice come from?

"Who are you?" Bakura dared to ask.

_Who I am is of little importance, what I am here for however, is a different matter entirely._

Bakura growled, using anger to cover up the feeling of unease building at the pit of his stomach. "What are you here for, then? To keep me trapped in here?"

A light, melodious laugh filled the room. 

_No, no. I'm here to save you._

Bakura frowned, confusion and curiosity the main emotions he felt. His anger and fear had washed away for reasons unknown, but the warm voice of his captor made him feel at ease. Bakura didn't need saving, though. What was this person talking about?

"To save me from what?"

_Yourself, of course._

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End chapter two! ^___^ In case you guys didn't know, Sakate and Takaido are two of the three guys that Yami Bakura won the locator cards from in that graveyard. Otherwise known as Sid and Zygore. ^^ Not that I have anything against them, but Yami Bakura beat them in the anime, so it's only fitting that he did it again, don't you think? 

Also, the room Bakura was in was his soul room. Hence the darkness and the cold and stuff.

I hope that I didn't confuse anyone even more. ^^;; If so, just e-mail me with your queries and I'll help the best I can. 

I know I haven't put in Marik or Malik yet, but I will. Next chapter, I promise. And I _know_ I haven't updated Hentai Ryou yet but I'm stuck on Chapter 13. *pouts* I'll hopefully get over my writer's block soon. 

Review, onegai! ^____^


	3. Meetings and memories

**Title:** The Light Within

**Pairings:** Yami/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, maybe others?

**Summary:** Three misguided teens, led away from their intended paths by the darkness. Can the balance be restored by the light halves of their souls?

**Warning:** Shounen-ai. Swearing. Light violence. Death.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I make no profit from this, it's purely for the enjoyment of myself and others (though I'm not certain about that…)

* * *

**Chapter Three – Meetings and memories**

Yami groaned as he roused from sleep. His head felt like it had been repeatedly hit by a ten-ton truck. Blinking groggily, Yami sat up, running a hand through his sleep-mussed hair. Taking a glance at the alarm clock beside his bed, Yami noticed that he was late for school – three hours late, in fact.

Not caring in the slightest, Yami climbed out of his bed, planning to have a nice hot shower, when he noticed he was only in his boxers.

'Weird…' Yami thought, puzzled. 'There was no way I would have been in any state to take my clothes off. Normally I fall asleep in my clothes. Downstairs.'

Yami scanned his room, to find his usual leather attire folded up neatly on the chair by his desk. He found it slightly unnerving, to say the least.

Choosing to play ignorant, Yami decided not to dwell on it. There was probably some kind of rational explanation for all of this. If more strange things happened, Yami would worry about them when the time came.

Half an hour, a long shower and aspirin tablets later, Yami cautiously made his way downstairs, the pain in his head now reduced to an irritating, dull thudding.

The sight that met Yami Mutou caused his heart to speed up slightly, and the tiniest slither of fear creep into him.

Nothing.

There was nothing. No beer cans, no empty food packets, the ashtray on the table was empty. Nothing. No one lived with him. Yami's parents were out sightseeing in Europe. Or was it backpacking in the Amazon? Yami didn't know. But _no one_ could have cleaned up the mess he made.

/I do a favour for you and this is the thanks I get?/ A voice said in mock-hurt.

Yami jumped, startled, and frantically looked around the room, only to find no one. "Where are you? Show yourself!" Yami yelled in frustration.

A low hum filled the room, and Yami looked down to realise it was coming from his puzzle, as well as a soft glow of yellow light. Yami felt a slight tug come from somewhere inside of him, and an image flickered in front of the teenager, as if he had simple turned on a television, before solidifying.

Yami's jaw dropped. A child stood before him, looking no older than ten or eleven. His hair was almost identical to Yami's own, though his features were softer. His eyes were an amazing shade of amethyst, filled with purity and innocence, but a spark of mischief was evident, and Yami guessed this child wasn't as innocent as he looked.

The boy wrinkled his nose in distaste, and Yami thought it was the cutest thing he'd ever seen.

"A _child?_" The boy asked indignantly, glaring at Yami. "I'm the same age as you."

Yami's eyebrows shot up in surprise, shocked by both pieces of information. "You…you heard what I thought?" He asked in amazement.

The boy's mood swiftly changed, and amethyst eyes danced in amusement. /Yes I did. It's one of the many perks of being your soul mate./

Yami heard the voice in his head, but the boy's mouth didn't move. It was an unsettling image.

"Oh," Yami said dazedly, sitting heavily on the couch.

So everything that Shadi said was true? It had to be real. Either that or the most realistic dream Yami had ever had. Yami pinched his arm and winced. Nope. It was real.

This was all too much for a teenager to take. His life, though not exactly full of happiness, was fine before any of this happened. A soul mate? Destined to save the world? If that wasn't cliché, Yami didn't know what was. And a hell of a lot of pressure if it was all true.

"Stop being so melodramatic," The boy said aloud, rolling his eyes, though he was still smiling. "You've done it before, you'll do it again. Only this time you have me by your side."

Yami gave the boy a small smile, the gesture feeling alien to the solitary teen. The boy's cheerful attitude was contagious, and the heartfelt words caused a comforting memory to flash through his mind.

_"Don't worry, darkness. You're not alone anymore."_

"That was you?" Yami asked, watching the small boy walk with a kind of unnatural grace as he moved to sit next to Yami on the couch.

"Yes, and my name's Yugi," Yugi said distractedly, running his fingers along the soft material of the piece of furniture, seemingly fascinated by it.

Yami stared at Yugi in surprise. This was going to take some getting used to. He was going to ask Yugi's name, but was answered before the question even left his lips. If Yugi read _his_ mind, didn't that mean—

"That you can do it, too?" Yugi asked, looking up to meet Yami's gaze with a cheeky grin. "Yes you can, and you can also block your thoughts from me if you wish. I'd advise that."

Yami frowned. Now the kid was just being annoying. Yami's frown dissolved into a smirk as Yugi huffed at being labelled a kid.

"I'm practically you, not to mention the fact that I have powers beyond your comprehension." Yugi said proudly, with an air of mystery. "So don't call me a kid," he added, pouting.

Yami chuckled, but was intrigued none the less. "What do you mean you're practically me? I thought you were my soul mate?" he asked, slightly confused.

Yugi straightened, giving Yami his full attention. "Well, I am, but we're the same person," he said simply, as if that should explain everything.

Yami blinked, still as clueless as he was before. "But you don't look or act like me," he pointed out.

Yugi shook his head. "I'm half of you. Your lighter half, you could say," he said with a quirk of his lips.

Yami nodded slowly, trying to make this implausible information register in his brain. "So that makes me the darker half?" He asked, gazing into Yugi's stunning amethyst eyes for confirmation.

Yugi smiled, nodding once. Yami snorted. How fitting for him to be the darker half of a soul with the name _Yami_.

Yugi ignored him. "Right. So whereas you're moody, pessimistic, careless and sexy, I'm cheerful, optimistic, attentive and cute," he said with a perfectly straight face.

Yami gave Yugi an unimpressed look. He wasn't moody, or pessimistic! Maybe a bit careless, sure…and sexy?! He wasn't—Yami stopped his train of thought, deciding to let Yugi slide on that one.

Yugi's giggle brought him back to reality, and Yami realised with annoyance that his lighter half had been teasing him.

"Oh no, I was perfectly serious. And while we're on the subject of your _wonderful_ personality traits, how about we add arrogant to that list?" Yugi teased, with a slight smirk.

Yami narrowed his eyes in annoyance. "Why don't you teach me how to keep my thoughts…_my_ thoughts?"

* * *

Malik gazed out of the eyes of his darker half, commonly known as Marik Ishtar. He had yet to explore the other's soul room, but one gaze at the door and he had decided to prolong that activity to a later date. To the untrained eye it was merely a door, but Malik could sense the darkness wanting to get out, to smother him and snuff out the light… 

Malik shivered.

Marik was currently sat in a dark room, which had struck Malik as odd. Sifting through Marik's memories had given him the piece of information that had told him Marik was in Domino Juvenile Correctional Facility. Malik decided not to look for his reason for being in such a place just yet.

But, from what little Malik had dared to see, Marik had gone through a lot, so it wasn't surprising he had ended up in such a… psychotic… state of mind. Malik remembered the vivid memories as if they were his own.

_Marik had drawn a picture of big sister Isis, big brother Rishid and Daddy. Daddy would be so proud of him!_

_Five-year-old Marik Ishtar clutched his simple drawing, running through the maze-like tunnels with ease as he headed to where he knew his Daddy would be._

_"Daddy! Look what I drawed! It's me and you and Isis and Rishid!" The young child squealed happily as he approached his father, thrusting the drawing into a frowning man's face._

_Marik's father glanced down at the drawing, anger clouding his expression. He snatched the drawing from Marik's hands, causing the young boy to gaze up at him in confusion. Why was Daddy mad? It was a pretty picture of them all in the sun, above the ground like the normal people!_

_"Why are you wasting your time drawing childish nonsense?! You should be in your room studying! Where is Rishid? Did he let you out of his sight again? He'll be punished for his insolence!" he said sharply, getting to his feet._

_Marik felt panic rush through him. "No, Daddy! Don't blame Rishid! It was my fault!" he cried, his pleas falling on deaf ears…_

The memory faded out and another one took its place.

_Apprehension gripped ten-year-old Marik like a vice, as he sat nervously, awaiting his initiation. The book in his hand was shaking due to his trembling, and the words all blurred together. Marik couldn't concentrate. It was going to hurt._

_Marik didn't want to be initiated. He never asked for this. Why did he have to be the reincarnation of the Ancient Priest? Sometimes he **hated **his heritage. Marik wanted to play in the sun with the other children. Why did they have to stay underground, in the dark? Marik didn't like the dark…_

_"Master Marik?" A deep voice called hesitantly._

_"Rishid!" Young Marik cried as he got up and ran into the arms of his adopted brother. His lavender eyes filled with tears, and the taller male tried to comfort him. "I don't want to do this! I **can't** do this, Rishid!"_

_"I'm sorry, Master Marik. I've tried talking to your father, but he won't listen. I'm sorry," Rishid whispered, lowering his eyes in shame._

_A violent surge of hatred swept through the young boy, and he pulled out of his brother's embrace roughly._

_"Master Marik, I--" Rishid tried. _

_"Leave me alone!" Marik yelled, running out of the room, angry tears streaming down his face._

_Young Marik hadn't got far before he was grabbed forcefully from behind. He screamed and kicked and cried, but it was all to no avail. _

_That night, ten-year-old Marik Ishtar gained his initiation._

Malik quickly ended the memory, not wanting to see his soul mate in such agony.

_Marik gasped, dropping the golden dagger as if it had bitten him._

_Before him, his father lay dead on the floor in a pool of blood, an expression of pure horror on his face. He could vaguely hear the cries of his sister, and shouts of help from Rishid, but Marik's mind was numb._

_What had happened? His father had been shouting at him again. Something about being disrespectful…and Marik had gotten angry. **So** angry. Then everything just phased out, and he didn't remember anything after that._

_Marik sank to his knees as realisation kicked in. His father was dead…but shouldn't he be happy? Now he could go live above ground, and live a normal life. _

_But Marik wasn't happy. His back still hurt, and there was a strange ache in his heart. A shimmer caught Marik's attention, and in front of him laid the Millennium Rod. It was still in dagger form, and the end was covered in blood. His father's blood. It was quite pretty really._

_Marik reached for the Rod, but was beaten to it by Rishid. Marik glared up at his brother, his anger flaring. It was **his** Millennium Rod. Rishid handed the Rod to some person Marik had seen vaguely before, who took it away. _

_Rishid's eyes grew sad as he gazed at Marik, and his anger dimmed. Marik burst into tears, and Rishid embraced him._

_Marik would never be able to be rid of the haunting look on his father's face…_

Malik shook his head, trying to dispel the memories from his head. It was awful -- too much for him to take. But what was worse was that he knew what was coming. Now the only thing was to stop it, without getting Marik hurt in the process.

The Millennium Rod was now back in Marik's possession, thanks to the clever work of Shadi. But why would Shadi give Marik such a destructive weapon, especially when Marik knew how to use it?

Marik was currently locked in a dark room, isolated from the other juveniles because of his violent behaviour. Someone would come in to let him out soon, and Marik was just sitting there, running his fingers along the Millennium Rod.

Malik bit his lip. He hadn't wanted to do this yet, but he was going to have to make himself known. Malik could always take over Marik forcefully, but he didn't know how much knowledge Marik had yet, so it might be a foolish move to make.

Closing his eyes and concentrating, Malik projected his image in spirit form in front of Marik, having the ability to see Marik's form perfectly in the dark. Cruel lavender eyes gazed at Malik icily, and a deep smirk was visible on Marik's tanned face. His deep, silky voice was taunting as he spoke:

"I was wondering when you would show up."

* * *

Sorry for the delay, but here's chapter 3! I did say in Hentai Ryou that I have exams, so I wasn't going to update for a while, in case you guys forgot. I know there's still a huge, gaping plot hole, but I'll fill you guys in as the story progresses, so hopefully it'll all make sense.

I still have my exams, but it's now Spring Break, so I have a little time to do some writing. I doubt I'll have Hentai Ryou's next chapter posted any time soon, as I still have to revise, but I'll start it this week amidst my revising. So it should be updated in about…a little over 2 weeks?

Anyway, review and tell me what you think please?


	4. Explanations

**Title:** The Light Within

**Pairings:** Yami/Yugi, Bakura/Ryou, Marik/Malik, maybe others?

**Summary:** Three misguided teens, led away from their intended paths by the darkness. Can the balance be restored by the light halves of their souls?

**Warning:** Shounen-ai. Swearing. Light violence. Death.

**Disclaimer:** I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh, and I make no profit from this, it's purely for the enjoyment of myself and others (though I'm not certain about that…)

Here's the next chapter! No Yami and Yugi I'm afraid, but that'll come next chapter. Be prepared for Bakura and Ryou interaction! Quite a bit, actually. Anyways, last chapter I forgot. .! But here's the to all those that reviewed chappie 3:

**Chelley Angel** – Thanks!

**cloud-1-3-5 and Ame Emi Dai – **o.o; Um…when you say it like _that_, it sounds so horribly perverted. Eek. Though I suppose if you don't look at it that way it's still a weird thing to do. But that's our Marik – as freaky as they come! Thank you, I'm trying to keep them as in character as I can, obviously without Yami being all full of friendship and protective of Yugi.

**Angel Reaper** – I forgive you, don't worry. -grins- Seeing as you complimented my story. Ah, well Marik didn't know Malik was there. He's just a good actor and expected something to happen as the Sennen Rod had somehow appeared in his room/cell.

**Anime Crazed** – I'm glad you like it, I'm attempting originality.

**Rikainiel** – Nah, Yami would never lay a finger to hurt Yugi. At least, not in any of my fics. I can't say the same for Yugi, however. He has a lot of power over Yami – power which I think is well deserved – and may put it to good use in the future. I've taken all my exams now. I hope you did well in yours!

**AngelStareFire Hikarist II **– Well your questions about Marik will be answered this chapter. I'll try to keep updates coming, but it's hard for me, as putting my ideas into words is quite the task most of the time. There are rare occasions where the words just flow, but that's not been happening lately, especially for Hentai Ryou. -pouts- I'll try, though!

**Glitnir-Gebo **- flushes Thank you. I'm glad that you think so!

**citcat-chan** – Yup. And you'll like this chapter (hopefully) as there's quite a bit of Bakura and Ryou in it. Well, it's most of the chapter, actually.

**Field of View** – Hehe, Yami and Yugi make such a cute pair, don't they? I love making a mischievous Yugi, he's so adorable! -huggles- None of them this time, though. -shakes head-

**Dragon Pearl1** – Yes, poor Marik-kun. Wait till you see how Malik treats him. -cackles- And I totally agree with you about Yugi!

**TaleneIsMyYami** – Aw shucks, stop it! -blushes- You're making my ego inflate, and that's never a good thing. I'm glad you think so, and that you like my story.

**Sansi** – Lucky you. I still have school to return to. -sniffles- I'm joining sixth form, so I still have two more years of school. -sigh- I'll survive somehow. Hehe, I'm looking forward to writing Yami, Bakura and Marik meeting as well. Expect conflict!

**Carmen5-Nemrac** – Thanks for reviewing!

**Millennium** – XD If I got home and everything had been cleaned I'd be pretty confused too. My room's a MESS. I suppose I'd be pretty happy too, though. Cleaning… -shudders- Yes, it was Shadi, actually. You were the only person to say anything about it. Well done!

**Yami-Yugi3** – Yeah, Yami/Yugi – can't get enough of it! But none in this chapter, I'm afraid. Don't worry, more will be coming soon! Well, my definition of soon, anyway…

**OnlyHAUNTED **– I _am_ having fun. -beams- Well, apart from the sucky weather and stupid boys that irritate me. -grumbles to herself- ANYWAY, thanks for reviewing!

**Maruken** – I'm glad that you did. Thanks for reviewing!

**RaineKitsune** – Thank you. Well here it is!

**Shar **– Thanks for your review.

**Anime Girl8** - -cackles- I _know_. Eventually the Yamis will be clued in, but the Hikaris will remain in power. -grins evilly-

* * *

**Chapter Four – Explanation **

"Myself?" Bakura asked in confusion. The uncertainty was quickly wiped from his face and replaced with a scowl. "I don't need saving from myself," he sneered.

/Oh contraire, dear Yami,/ the soft voice said merrily.

The tone of voice caused Bakura's anger to flare. Did this…_thing_, think his predicament was a source of amusement?! He was confused and cold and – dare he admit it? – scared, and he was being laughed at!

/I have a name, just so you have something to refer me to. I don't think 'thing' is an appropriate term, personally. My name is Ryou./

"I couldn't give a flying _fuck_ as to what your name is! Let me out of here!" Bakura snarled, pounding on the door once more.

A sigh filled the room, followed by a less than cheerful '_all right_'. Bakura felt that indescribable sensation again, and was abruptly thrown back into control of his own body.

The sudden action caught Bakura off guard, and he fell to his knees, feeling disorientated and very, very angry. Someone was going to feel a whole lot of pain.

The first thing Bakura noticed was that he couldn't feel the chill of the cool night breeze he had when he was outside. The second thing Bakura noticed was that he wasn't alone. Rising to his feet, the teenager could only stare at the figure sat on his bed.

_His_ bed in _his_ room. How had he gotten here?

Silvery hair so similar to his own seemed to glow in the moonlight, and soulful brown eyes met his glare without even flinching. Bakura guessed that this was Ryou, but the figure was so feminine, Bakura wasn't sure whether it was a very girly boy, or a very pretty girl.

Annoyance flashed in Ryou's eyes. /I'm a boy./

The soft-spoken words were heard in Bakura's head, yet Ryou's lips had not moved. Overall, Ryou made an ethereal – if not chilling – image, with his gleaming silver hair and soft, beautiful features.

"What the hell is going on?!" Bakura cried, extremely unsettled by recent happenings and his own thoughts.

His life had done a complete one eighty in a matter of hours. Being locked in a dark room, hearing voices, having blackouts – was he going insane?

Ryou sighed and shook his head, the hint of a smile on his face. "I know this is hard to take in, but…that ring around your neck," Ryou gestured with a hand, "the Sennen Ring, has allowed the part of your soul that has been missing to be brought back to you, via me."

Bakura stared blankly at him. "_What_?"

Ryou rolled his eyes heavenward. "Okay, people have souls, right?" He asked, trying a different approach.

Bakura snorted. "Whatever."

"_Well_, unlike most people, your soul was unbalanced. Only the dark part of your soul remained. To fulfil your destiny you needed to have a full soul. So…here I am!" Ryou finished, grinning.

Bakura narrowed his eyes sceptically, seeming to be in thought. "Sounds like a load of bull to me," he said eventually.

Ryou sighed in exasperation. "Well how do you explain everything that's happened? The room you were in? The voice in your head?"

Bakura scowled at Ryou, grudgingly admitting the other boy had a point. "I can't. But I'm guessing you're going to?" he said snidely.

Ryou smiled, shifting his position to get more comfortable. Raising an eyebrow at Bakura, he said, "Are you just going to stand there? I suggest you sit down, because this is going to take a lot of explaining."

Grumbling, Bakura joined Ryou on his bed, making sure to keep distance between them. If Ryou noticed, he said nothing.

"Okay, you probably want to know what the room you were in was, correct?" At Bakura's flat look, he continued. "That was your soul room. It portrays the real you – cold, dark, empty. The door you were trying to go through would have taken you to the corridor of your mind, with my soul room opposite yours. Any questions so far?"

Bakura wanted to argue about the fact that he was apparently cold, dark and empty, but the soft-spoken boy had piqued his interest. He shook his head.

A smile ghosted over Ryou's features. "As I am created by the magics of the Sennen Ring, I have more control over our abilities than you do. I am able to take over your body if I so wish. This means that your half of our soul has nowhere to go, so you are sent to your soul room. I wouldn't normally lock the door, but you were…uncooperative, so measures had to be taken. Once you know how, you'll be able to use the Ring to manifest yourself as a spirit that only I would be able to see."

Bakura 'hmm'd thoughtfully. "But what I don't understand is how you have your own body, and when you take over me I can't do the same," he murmured, reaching forward and touching Ryou's leg, only half surprised to come in contact with it.

Ryou let out a short, amused laugh, causing Bakura to snatch his hand away. "Well if I took over you and you then had another body, it kind of contradicts the whole point of me taking over in the first place, doesn't it?"

Bakura frowned. "I don't think that's fair. It's my body, why should you get to control what I do?"

Ryou merely smiled, not at all intimidated by Bakura's returned bout of anger. "It's our body, and considering your lack of ethics, I'm given the power to make sure you don't exceed in your inhumane activities. Consider me your conscience."

A thought suddenly struck Bakura. "Why me?"

The abrupt question seemed to catch Ryou off guard, and he blinked owlishly at Bakura. "What?"

"I'm sure I'm not the only person with an off-balance soul, or whatever. I mean, there are many psychopaths and murderers out there in a worse state of mind than myself, so why me?"

Ryou smiled again, causing Bakura to have conflicting emotions. The smile was infuriating, as the other boy seemed to find this all in good fun, acting as it if they were discussing a hobby or something. On the other hand, the action caused Ryou's deep chocolate eyes to sparkle and in turn cause Bakura's heart to speed up slightly.

"Well, you play a significant role in the salvation of the world," Ryou said simply, shrugging.

"I – you…what?!" Bakura spluttered, unprepared for such a statement.

"Not on your own, though. You and two other people are to work together to prevent the releasing of the Shadows on the world. You have me, as well, of course, as I'm going to be by your side until the end."

"The end of what?" Bakura asked, not really wanting to know the answer.

Ryou's eyes seemed to lose some of their light, and he gazed at Bakura sadly. "I don't know."

Bakura didn't like the idea of someone who seemed so carefree to be sad, so opened his mouth to say something, when a bang to his door caught both occupants by surprise.

"What?!" Bakura snapped once he'd regained composure, knowing who was on the other side.

"What are you doing in there? Do you know what time it is? You better not have anyone in there, young man!" Kakuei scolded, opening the door, to find his son looking quite startled, sat on his bed with the television on.

"I was…watching television?" Bakura said as he stared at it, though his voice wavered, as though surprised to be doing so.

"Oh," Kakuei said, blinking. "Well turn it off, it's well past midnight!" he admonished, before turning and walking back out, shutting the door behind himself.

Ryou appeared on the bed once more in a brief flash of light, smiling in amusement. He waved a hand through the air and the television turned itself off again. Bakura gaped slightly, seeing something unexplainable happen before his eyes was hard to take in, despite all that had happened recently.

Ryou giggled, and Bakura snapped his mouth shut, eyeing Ryou warily. "What else can you do?"

Ryou shrugged. "Many things. You'll find out in due time."

"Can I do things like that?" Bakura asked, waving his hand through the air in an imitation of Ryou. Nothing happened.

Ryou giggled again, trying to stifle his laughter with a hand. Bakura, insulted and slightly embarrassed, glared at the smaller teen. Realising his dark expected an answer, Ryou's expression sobered slightly. "Well…yes, you can."

Bakura's expression brightened, as images of what he could do with such power appeared in his head, and what he could do to whoever tried to stop him. Ryou's eyes widened as the images went through his head as well.

/_No_!/

Bakura jumped as the distressed voice interrupted his train of thought. He dared a glance at Ryou and was taken aback. Ryou's expression was furious, causing his usually bright eyes to darken significantly and his aura to appear much more threatening. Bakura decided he didn't like this side of Ryou.

"Have you not listened to anything I've said?" Ryou said angrily, out loud this time.

Bakura watched Ryou with wide eyes, but said nothing. The very air around them was crackling with energy, he could feel it and almost _see_ it, causing a shiver to go up his spine.

"Sorry?" Bakura tried, fighting the instinct to flee. He would not run away, he was no coward.

Ryou breathed in heavily, forcing himself to calm down. The images had been horrible, how could someone wish something like that on other people, just for his own personal gains? He should have expected this. Bakura wouldn't simply change the instant he entered the other's life. Bakura had little to no morals, and it would take a long time for Ryou to help Bakura.

Ryou just hoped that he hadn't arrived too late.

Ryou spared Bakura one, disappointed glance before he vanished in the blink of an eye.

* * *

****

Malik's eyes widened. So he knew. But knowing _about_ him and knowing how to handle the powers of the Rod were two different things. True, Marik had used it as a dagger in his youth, but he had not been taught how to wield the Shadow magics. That much Malik knew.

Malik caught his composure and glared at the teen in front of him. Now was _not_ the time to play nice and make friends. "Oh really?" he sneered.

Marik continued to smirk, nodding once. His eyes travelled down and back up, lazily taking in the translucent form in front of him, his smirk widening slightly. He lifted up the Sennen Rod, pointing it at Malik and closing his eyes.

The Rod glowed for a moment before the light died down again. Marik opened his eyes to look at Malik, but his triumphant smirk slipped from his face as he took in the sight of the glaring teen.

"Oh dear," Malik simpered, "it seems as though things didn't go according to plan." He let out a short, amused laugh. "Did you honestly think that you could use that against _yourself_? You don't know anything. You were bluffing, weren't you?" Malik said accusingly, lavender eyes narrowed dangerously.

Malik was angry with himself. He couldn't believe he had almost fallen for that! Creating the hikaris was not thought up until recently, so how could Marik have known about him all those years ago? Though Marik had made no reaction to him what so ever when he appeared. His dark was quite the actor, it seemed.

He was such a fool. He could just read Marik's mind to confirm any suspicions, yet he had allowed himself to be tricked. It was painfully obvious that his darker half could _not_ be trusted.

Marik scowled, knowing he'd been found out. "I know of some things, but I try to forget my past. I'm not part of that family anymore," he said, voice dripping with disdain.

Malik was about to answer when he caught the sound of faint footsteps. His eyes widened. The guard was coming to let Marik out! The grin on Marik's face was a telltale sign, and the fact that the Rod in Marik's hand now had a long and very sharp blade protruding from one end confirmed Malik's suspicions.

Marik was going to make a break for it, and he had no inhibitions on killing to do so.

The footsteps grew louder until they finally stopped, and the jingle of keys could be heard outside the door.

Malik sighed and closed his eyes, his form disappearing from the room as he took over. Opening his eyes and blinking a few times to get used to the darkness, Malik returned the Sennen Rod to its original state.

/Don't worry./ Malik informed Marik from his location inside his dark's soul room, ignoring Marik's outraged protests. /I'll get us out of here - _my way_./

Malik readied himself as the key was turned and the door slowly opened. He only hoped the other two hikaris were having better luck than he was.

* * *

****

Slight, _slight_ fluff between Bakura and Ryou. Though mainly Bakura admiring Ryou's looks… but _nyeh_, it's all you'll get for now. XP I hope that scene cleared more up, as well. I tried explaining the situation as to why the hikaris were actually there, and I hope I did okay.

Anyways, Hentai Ryou is being worked on as we speak, but it seems I'm having a bit of trouble. I know how I want things to go, it's just putting it into words, you know? I think I've got about half way through the 14th chapter, so it _should_ be done soon. Fingers crossed.

Review, pretty please?


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